Daily Archives: 21/06/2016

We are all affected by grief during our lifetimes and we deal with it in different ways, statements like the above are often not very helpful when gripped with the intensity of feelings that this very raw emotion can bring. Death and Bereavement faced by a younger person can be more apparent.

Concord Media have put together a series of DVDs which can be used to help understand grief among different age groups and are a useful aid should you be faced with such circumstances within the school, they have even included a resource dealing with grief later in life.

Do have a look at the range of resources and you can click to see more details on each DVD below.

Schools have reported that they are saving a considerable amount of money by sharing their facilities (an IT suite, play area, school hall…) with neighbouring schools, and vice versa.

But on-site facilities are not all that schools are sharing in the bid to save money.

Indeed, a growing numbers of schools are leasing an extra minibus (meaning that there is no initial large payment required – just a monthly lease fee) and then sharing it part time with one or two other schools or groups.

In this way, the cost of running the minibus is shared, and each school knows exactly when it has the extra bus and arranges events around it.

Better still, there is no issue about the cost of repairs, servicing and the like, since leased minibuses come with all the arrangements and all the costs of servicing and repairs built into the lease.

If you haven’t before leased a minibus, or thought about of sharing one, please do give me a call on 01753 859944 and I can talk you through how it all works.

But if you want to take a look at who we are and what we do before you call, you’ll find more information about leasing at www.minibusleasing.co.uk.

Tie in story writing with your history topic and bring the past to life with a Stone Age assembly. It’s fun and interactive. Pupils will get hands on with a mammoth hunt and find out about Neolithic life.

The Stone Age assembly is a perfect primer for story writing workshops where pupils will write their own stories. We’ll use the innovative Accelerated writing method (as used by Creative Writing Club). I’m a children’s author who teaches creative writing in schools, so I can also answer their questions on writing and perform short extracts from my book.

As well as the stone age, other topics include: The Bronze Age, the Iron Age Celts, the Greeks, the Egyptians, the Romans, the Celts, the Anglo Saxons, the Aztecs, Mayans, the Great Fire of London, Flooded world (natural disasters), the Vikings, the Normans, the Tudors, the Victorians, Shakespeare, Traditional tales, the Rainforest and many more. I’m an ex-BBC editor and I can also offer workshops on factual writing (using a historical frame).

About me
I’ve written 14 books for children, over a wide age range (Y1-Y9) including: Spartapuss (Romans), Beowuff (Anglo Saxons vs Vikings) Olympuss Games (Greeks), Boudicat (Celts), Cleocatra’s Kushion (Egyptians). My graphic novel ‘London Deep’ was chosen as a Recommended Read for World Book Day. I co-wrote the musical version of Julia Donaldson’s books The Gruffalo and Room on the Broom. I’ve led writing workshops for Shakespeare’s Birthplace Trust and The Young Archaeologists Club. Check out my profile on Love Reading For Kids:

It might seem curious, but it turns out to be true. The chairs you install in classrooms affect student behaviour and learning.

In fact the chairs we use affect all of us. If we are comfortable when we sit to study, we will study more, and study better. If we are uncomfortable the reverse is true.

Research has shown that around three quarters of secondary school students report their school chairs as uncomfortable. Around nine in ten say that the chair they have to sit on affects their ability to focus and concentrate.

And given that in the course of a year the average student will spend around 800 hours sitting in class it is not surprising that the impact of the humble school chair is huge.

But there is more because Ofsted has reported that just about the largest source of disruption in classrooms came from students swinging on chairs.

Worse, many of those students who engaged in this sort of action, were students who do not engage in other low level disruptive behaviour. It is just that they are uncomfortable, the chairs can be used for tilting and swinging, and so students who otherwise would never disrupt lessons now do so.

Thus changing the design of chairs makes the students more able to focus (because they are more comfortable) and less likely to be disruptive.

It was this understanding which led to the development of the Max2 chair; a chair designed to aid study, focus and concentration. It naturally comes with a 10 year guarantee, has a zero environmental impact, is delivered within 7-10 days from order and which can be discounted by up to 40%.

There is more information HERE, along with images and details of how to buy. If you would like to talk about any of the issues raised here or indeed any other point related to the Max2 chair, please do call us on 0345 257 8850 or email info@dlb.co.uk

Do you want to make that book budget go further with an excellent choice plus a clear idea of what you’re buying?

Then please see all the wonderful offers on our “Favourites and Phonics” brochure. Including amazing value offers on:

Story Cards – move over big books!
Ladybird I’m Ready For Phonics
Sparklers award winning early years non-fictionUsborne Young readers
And many wonderful picture books at amazing prices

If you’re looking for end of term presents (or even shopping early for Xmas!) then you will find something here for you.

Please view the brochure at: www.mms-publishing.com/nursery or we can email a PDF brochure directly to you. No need to open an account to order, all orders supplied on 30 day credit period, and all orders over £50 supplied carriage free.

‘Developing Exceptional History in Schools’ is a new course designed to enable schools to drive forward professional development and achieve outstanding history. Whether you’re looking for inspiration or reassurance, this is the right professional development for you and your school. The course is run over two twilight sessions and tailored to your school’s specific needs, unpicking an aspect of development, as well as a session on one of the following: motivation, subject leader/head of department’s role or preparing to become a quality mark school. To find out more email melaniej@history.org.uk or visit www.history.org.uk/events

Primary Sources in Russian History – provides a sufficient range of sources to allow students to consider in some depth the key events and themes in the reigns of the last 5 Russian tsars without feeling totally swamped by a too large choice of sources.

The Reign of Henry VII 1485 – 1509 – enables students to analyse, explain and make judgements about events, developments and interpretations relating to Henry VII’s reign.

Thomas Wolsey – The King’s Cardinal – this guide provides a synthesis of the historical writing on Wolsey and his ministry, along with guidance on how to approach key questions.

One of the most curious things about learning to write in one’s native tongue is that at the same time as learning to use the language one is actually using the language.

Which is why the learning tends to be twofold. On the one hand one learns the rules and logic of the language in a systematic way, but on the other hand issues suddenly arise that show that further explanation is needed.

For example, we might take the old favourite of homographs and homophones. They can cause endless confusion, so what should one do?

The answer, of course, is to have a lesson or a part of the lesson on this particular topic – quite possibly throwing in some homograph and homophone puns along the way just to make it more lighthearted.

The same is true with every other part of the language. From the indicative, imperative, and subjunctive mood to the use of a comma with adverbials of frequency.

This is what the 200 page copiable volume “Grammar and Punctuation for Key Stages 3 and 4″ covers. Over 170 different items and topics, each dealt with, along with examples. It offers teachers invaluable assistance in familiarising their pupils with those grammatical and punctuation principles relevant to Key Stages 3 and 4 and rooted in national literacy strategies.

In this way Grammar and Punctuation for Key Stages 3 and 4 performs a dual function: it is both a grammar book and an editing handbook, utilising authentic examples collected from a variety of written sources.

It pays particular attention to those areas with which authors of all ages tend to have difficulties and offers an abundance of examples of current usage highlighting these areas.

Such examples are then followed by suggested improvements and by explanations justifying those improvements. Finally the relevant principles are practised through activities designed for pupils.

Anna Nolan, the author of Grammar and Punctuation for Key Stages 3 and 4, has spent many years running public examinations, developing national qualification, carrying out linguistic research and writing books on English grammar, punctuation and usage.

This copiable book is available both in spiral bound printed form and on CD. It is a revised and updated second edition of the book Grammar and Punctuation at Key Stage 3.

This year Topical Resources have priced all their titles at just £5 a book (a discount of up to 75%) making their 2016 Summer Sale even better than the last. You can see and order their book titles (just £5 each) on the website at: www.topical-resources.co.uk.

To see more savings on primary teaching resources (incl. free resources), and to get notifications of future savings, deals and discount codes, follow @Savings4Schools on Twitter and like Savings for Schools on Facebook – Savings for Schools.

Applying for a degree program can be a challenging experience, particularly for aspiring medical students. Although there are over 170 medical schools in the US, competition is fierce for every single one of them. Make sure your students are the ones that stand-out on their applications by passing on this email so they can download their free copy of our Getting into Medical School guide today.

There are only a few spaces left on our hospital shadowing programs this summer! Any students who would like to join us for a short-term hospital shadowing internship in 2016 is encouraged to get in touch as soon as possible so they don’t miss out.

We offer group bookings as well as individual placements so if you would like to find out more about how Gap Medics can help your future healthcare professionals to achieve their dreams, give us a call on our toll free number below or email info@gapmedics.com